The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.
Computer-based virtual reality devices provide a unique immersive experience for a user. Through virtual reality applications, a user is capable of experiencing a fully modeled three dimensional world of a game or movie as if the user was actually in the game or movie. Virtual reality computer systems typically comprise a programmed digital computer coupled, directly or indirectly via networks, to a display device that is capable of rendering a virtual 3D world or environment on a two-dimensional display panel. In some cases the display device may be a head mounted display (HMD) consisting of a wearable apparatus having one or more displays that can be positioned close to the eyes of the user.
HMDs provide an immersive virtual reality experience for a user. Immersion in the visual experience is achieved in part because the HMD displays video across the entire frontal and peripheral visual field of the user so that the real external environment is not seen. An HMD creates the immersive feel by allowing an application publisher to provide a hands free immersion into video games or 3D filmed content. By tracking the movement of the headset in three dimensions through one or more motion detecting chips, an HMD is capable of displaying the 3D environment in a manner that synchronizes with the motion of a person's head. Thus, as a person turns or rotates their head, the headset is capable of recognizing the motion and displaying to the user a corresponding portion of the virtual reality environment.
While virtual reality applications create a more immersive experience for a user, it is easy for a user to become distracted in a virtual reality application. The full environment offered by the virtual reality application allows the user to investigate the entirety of the environment. Thus, at any given moment in the execution of a virtual reality application, a user may be looking in any direction.
Many virtual reality applications have specific areas that the application publisher wants the user to see. The specific areas may relate to events that are occurring in real time, such as action scenes, or to a purpose of the virtual reality application, such as displaying videos in a virtual theater. If the user of the virtual reality application is not looking in the correct direction at the correct time, it is possible that the user will miss an important part of the application without knowing it was there. Additionally, distraction in a virtual reality application is often associated with disinterest or boredom. If a player of an action game is looking around the environment during a major action scene, it is a sign that the major action scene is not engaging the user.
When an application publisher creates a virtual reality application, the application publisher has no way of knowing whether users will focus on particular aspects of the virtual world at the right times. Thus, an application publisher has no way of knowing if putting time and resources into building a particular part of a virtual reality environment will result in a significant improvement to the user experience. Additionally, when an application publisher updates an existing application, the application publisher does so without knowing whether users are generally focusing on specific parts of the application or whether boredom, disinterest, other elements of the environment, or other outside factors are causing the users to miss the specific parts of the application.
In addition to not knowing when a user is becoming distracted, once a user becomes distracted or disinterested in the environment, the application publisher has no way of rectifying the situation by refocusing the user on the interesting parts of the environment. Even if the application publisher were able to collect feedback from users who become distracted in games, the application publisher is still unable to redirect the initial distracted user's focus so that the initial user does not miss the events in the first place. While the application publisher may modify the application for future users, the application publisher may still lose the opportunity to show the distracted users the missed important parts of the application.
Thus, there is a need for a method of determining when users become distracted in applications. Additionally, there is a need for a method of redirecting the focus of distracted users that are about to miss out on the full experience of a particular application.